


Walking In the Dark

by absolutelytenjima



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Descriptive Violence, Gets kinda dark but they're happy in the end, Graphic Description, Lots of death and gore, M/M, My long and indulgent IwaOi fic, Not proof-read would rather die, Romance, Tooru is insufferable., ongoing work, since I practically breathe them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28108845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/absolutelytenjima/pseuds/absolutelytenjima
Summary: Oikawa is an insufferable assistant to the king of Rissingshire. Iwaizumi is a knight whoreallydoesn't have time for this bullshit.But sometimes it takes a near death experience to bring people together, however unwillingly.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. Perhaps a Prologue

Water soaked his boots as Iwaizumi trudged through the snow, ignoring the discomfort his cold and damp feet felt. He couldn't exactly stop; a summon from the king wasn't something to take lightly. Sure, he got called more often than your average civilian, being the head knight and all and possessing some of the most powerful combat magic in the kingdom, but it was always cause for concern. 

The idea of seeing Oikawa Tooru wasn't very appealing, either, and he wondered how much trouble he’d get in if he - accidentally - fell and broke his ankle. It'd buy him a couple of weeks, but eventually he’d have to go back.

He sighed.

Wrinkling his nose against the snow, Iwaizumi trudged on.

“Couldn’t even brush yourself off for the king?”

Of course Oikawa was standing there and waiting for him. Iwaizumi turned a fierce glare on their negotiator, receiving an innocent expression and raised hands in return. “Woah, don’t break anything!”

“If you continue commenting on my appearance then I might just break your fucking face, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi sneered, and the taller brunet stepped out of the way with a wise nod. Perhaps he realized that the knight was a man of his word.

“Sure.”

Oikawa watched Iwaizumi enter the revered throne room with a sharp sting of dislike. Uptight people were the _actual_ worst. He rolled his eyes and then flattened himself back against the door, exhaling through his nose.

If the man wasn't so handsome, he’d definitely try and curse him in some way. Unfortunately, Tooru had always been a sucker for pretty guys - of course, no one was ever close to him, but he didn't mind being able to stare at Iwaizumi’s caramel skin while he trained from his room in the castle. He didn't find anything special about Iwaizumi besides his looks, honestly, the man was about as smart as a dying dragon. Gross. 

“Oikawa-sama! I got you your coffee!” His thoughts were disturbed by the young man appearing in front of him, holding a steaming cup of dark liquid. He grinned and ruffled the stiff black hair, wondering, yet again, what hair gel Kindaichi used. 

“Thank you, Kin-kun! Though I have to ask where my muffin is.”

He was simply teasing the young man, who flushed and rubbed the back of his neck, not taking it seriously. “Err… well, actually, Kunimi-kun and Kenma-san were snacking on them all,” he mumbled, embarrassed at his lack of procured muffins. 

“Ah, yes, of course they were. That’s a shame! I was counting on you, Kin-kun!” Before he could flash a good-natured grin, he felt a rough hand on the back of his head, forcing it forward. “Ack-!”

“Stop bullying the lowers, Shittykawa.”

Him. Of course it was him.

“Oh-! Oikawa-sama wasn’t-!”

“Kindaichi.”

Kindaichi’s mouth shut very quickly when he met the knight's eyes, looking down. “Yes, Iwaizumi-san.” He quickly shuffled away, and Tooru sighed darkly. 

“Ah, yes, the high and mighty knight! What did our dear king-sama want from you?” he asked, reaching forward. Smoke curled over Iwaizumi’s ear, brushing lightly across his cheek. He grunted and shook his head, shoving a hand against Tooru’s chest. 

“Going on a mission. None of your business. Fuck off, already, I don’t particularly like you.” Iwaizumi spoke cold and clipped as always. 

“Ouch! So cold!”

He watched the man disappear, smirking playfully. He had so much time to mess around with this man.


	2. Oikawa Is a Vegetarian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a bit of violence discussed. I hope you guys like this chapter. Feedback appreciated.

Something was off. Hajime knew it. He nudged his horse with his heel, urging her to move a bit faster. His green eyes tracked the surrounding landscape as he got closer to his home.

It was fine until the stench of death slamming against the delicate scent receptors of his nose. He reeled back, and Alé didn’t seem to like that. The white mare rose up onto two legs and he slid back with a cry of shock, landing straight in the mud that soaked his pants and lower shirt. “Fuck!” He watched her trek away safely on the path, heading in the opposite direction.

Hajime got up and barely caught himself before inhaling deeply in exasperation. He knew what death and bloodshed smelled like, and that was all he could sense. It made his muscles tighten, mouth beginning to dry as his body settled into fight or flight. And goddamnit, Iwaizumi didn’t ever choose flight. 

The screams were the worst part. Cries of his citizens - the ones he was supposed to protect. It and his stomach churn, seeing the white flames rise from the city and castle. Completely smokeless, but the heat made his eyes water, feeling as if his blood was boiling beneath his skin. 

“Iwaizumi-san!” The strangled cry made him jump, looking down as the boy crashed from a mix of anxiety and fear. He quickly dropped down and pressed his fingers against Kindaichi’s carotid pulse. The steady thump made him sigh, deciding he’d be okay. For extra measure, he dragged the man into a bush and used his cape to prop his head up, eyebrows furrowed. 

A strangled cry was torn from his throat as a heavy weight crashed into him, sharp pain working it’s vicious way up his side as the dagger dug under his armour and sank into the warm flesh. He slammed his elbow into his attacker’s skull. He or she went down without a sound, except the soft thud of their body hitting the floor. Disgust filled him, disregarding his wound in favour of bending back down beside Kindaichi. 

“Holy Red Women,” he murmured, checking one last time that his junior didn't have any urgent injuries. 

When he was finished, he straightened up and began running towards the castle again, coughing at the sharp stench. Injured nerves sent barely acknowledged pain signals to his brain. “Hello? Is anyone still alive?” he bellowed, cupping his hands over his mouth for extra volume. His words were met with a cold silence - the screams had stopped. His kingdom was up in flames and clearly there weren’t many survivors, other than those who were out or somehow managed to escape death.

A soft wail caught his attention. The horse stables. They weren't up in flames but were definitely looking worse for the wear. He quickly ran over and began digging through the wood, ignoring the sharp prick of wooden needles in his tough fingers and his wound. Pain was irrelevant right now. 

His search uncovered two people. One was a child, who had black and red skin, twisted with burns that made him nearly unrecognizable; but Iwaizumi knew that outfit, however charred it was. This was the king’s son. And if he was out here, then… Iwaizumi’s eyes flickered over to the crumbling castle, before the other person’s grunt brought him back to attention.

“Fuck, are you okay?” Despite his hatred for the man, Iwaizumi quickly shoved the cracked boards off of Oikawa and then gently rolled him over, hissing at the sight. There was an angry burn starting at his jaw and disappearing beneath the thick shirt that had held up surprisingly well against flames. He met the honey coloured eyes, filled with a desperation that made his chest hurt. The emotions in his chest were too much to handle and he huffed out a breath, trying to hold it back, but ended up twisting to the side and vomiting onto the grass. 

“Gross…” the whisper came from the injured man’s lips, accompanied by a hollow grin. Anger starburst across Iwaizumi’s veins, but he wasn't sure why. It was anger at the situation, not at Oikawa, but he still sent a glare in the other’s direction. 

“Shut up. Did anyone else survive?”

“Dunno. I grabbed the kid and got out.”

“Good job you did with that. Being selfish and failing to protect the kingdom’s future. Good job, Oikawa! I’m sure you feel mighty and grand right now, hm?” Hajime’s voice was laden with sarcasm, and Oikawa pushed himself up. Blood dribbled down his chin as soon as he did, but it was wiped away.

“Unlike you, I’d prefer to keep my life!” Oikawa snapped, eyes flickering over the jagged scar that ran across his companion’s throat. Hajime pressed an unconscious hand against it, the words stinging. 

“Whatever. Have fun with this, then. I’m heading to Westrung for aid.” He snorted and stood, tugging his collar up a bit. Oikawa’s desperate cry was enough to make him pause, though, and glance down. 

“Wait! Iwaizumi, I - I can’t survive out here. I’m injured. I don't want to die. You know I don't want to die. I can help you!” Oikawa looked up at him with wide eyes, before flexing his fingers. They were slick with crimson. The sight made Hajime’s stomach churn and bend down, slowly pushing everything out of the way. A long shaft of metal pierced directly through Oikawa’s knee. Someone had driven a knife through his fucking leg. Iwaizumi wondered how much it would hurt to vomit again.

“I can’t walk. I'll die out here, assuming they don’t find me first. They wanted me dead. Please don't leave me alone out here.” 

The begging made the knight cringe. It wasn't a very good look on the pompous asshole. 

“Fine, whatever. But I’m leaving you at the first place we get to, asshole. I don't want to be stuck with you the entire trip.”

Oikawa’s eyes lit up. 

It almost made him smile. 

“You're literally suffocating me. Loosen your grip,” Iwaizumi grouched. Oikawa’s long fingers grasped at his shirt, and he sighed as the taller man just pressed closer. He could tell that the magicker was in pain, with his shirt and pants rubbing up against his injury and all, but that didn't stop Oikawa from pressing his chest to Iwaizumi’s back, sharing heat between them in the frigid wind.

Oh, did he mention that Oikawa was terrified out of his mind?

“Can we slow down?” the brunet yelled over the clopping of hooves and rush of air going past his freezing ears. He didn't like horses; they were unreliable and it was just something else that you had to look after on a journey. He much preferred dragons. Dragons were simple creatures, motivated by even the smallest trinkets into giving you what you wanted. 

Hmm. Maybe he was a bit manipulative. He enjoyed the feeling of lesser beings groveling at his feet… like Snow White, but a million times hotter. A small smile graced his face and he shoved it into the back of Iwaizumi’s neck, nosing the pale scar that poked out of the other’s shirt. Was it possible for eyelids to freeze off? Because he was pretty sure that was exart what was happening. Each time he opened them it became harder, until eventually he couldn't anymore. 

He sighed, body relaxing against Iwaizumi as he drifted off. 

It was far too cold when he woke up. His freezing fingers grasped at the coat draped over him, unused to the rough material. 

“Tobio-chan? Why is it so cold in here…?”

A hard thump against his chest made him splutter and also gave an unwelcome yank back to reality. Someone said something in a rough voice, forcing his uncooperative hands around something warm and slightly moist.

Finally, the person’s voice registered. 

“Eat, dumbass.”

Right. Iwaizumi. Burns. His leg ached, and so did his chest and throat, but he could feel the pressure of bandages wrapped around the affected areas. He must have looked like some sort of creature from beyond. How ghastly. 

“Ah, Iwaizumi! Still holding up?” Oikawa slowly forced himself into a sitting position. He paused when his wrist was grabbed and slowly tugged upwards, registering what, exactly, was in his hands. He shrieked and practically threw it, disgust crawling up his spine. “What the _fuck_ is that?!”

Iwaizumi caught the meat, his eyebrows furrowing. “It's a Yugarok leg. Don’t tell me you've never seen this before?” he waved it in front of Oikawa’s face, effectively stirring up his stomach - and not in the hungry way.

“Those big, fluffy grey birds?” he asked, eyes widening. Iwaizumi nodded. Oikawa covered his mouth, feeling like he was about to cry. The magicker abruptly kicked out, shoving Iwaizumi away from him with a cry. “That’s disgusting! Why would you eat them?! I’m a vegetarian, anyways, I don’t want that!”

“Watch it!” The knight’s hand flew to his side, and Tooru only now realized that he had no shirt on and bandages were wrapped around his midsection. Where his hand was, crimson steadily turned white into red. “Fuck - get me more bandages!”

“Where?!” 

Oikawa felt awful. He gripped at his hair stressfully. Anyone would feel bad in this situation; it didn’t make him _empathetic_ or whatever it was called. 

“In my bag! Where else?” Iwaizumi snapped. Oikawa obeyed, wrapping his fingers around what felt like gauze after he’d unzipped said bag, tossing it to Iwaizumi. 

“You’re an idiot.”

“I know.”

“Are you fucking blind? And who refuses to eat meat in a _survival situation_?!”

“I’ve never eaten meat!” The very idea disgusted Oikawa. Killing a living creature and consuming the flesh… there was no way it could taste good or he’d be able to stomach it. Gross. 

“We are literally stuck out here. You don't have room to be picky,” Iwaizumi snapped. Oikawa just shifted, reaching towards the fire. Flames curled around his fingers, lighting up his honey-coloured eyes. Warmth soon blossomed as he stole the fire from its pit, sighing. After a moment, he let it go, and then looked away.

“Then I’ll starve.”

It took a moment to receive a reply. Iwaizumi had been watching him with some sort of stupid expression on his face, one that Tooru really just wanted to blast off. 

“Starve or find some mushrooms or something. I can tell you right now that meat is our easiest source of consumables while we’re in this forest, and if you don’t keep up your protein intake then you're going to lose your strength and muscle mass…” Iwaizumi paused, glancing over Oikawa disdainfully. “Not that you have much.”

“Hey!”

“Go to bed, Idiotkawa. We’re going to keep moving in the morning.” Iwaizumi sighed and slid down, using his arms as pillows on the bare ground. Oikawa pursed his lips, watching the man turn away - a very clear end to the conversation.

But did Tooru ever care much for social cues?

“Keep moving to where?” he asked softly.

Another pause. 

Then,

“I don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Chapter one! I hope it was okay. I'm by no means the best writer but I've been wanting to work on an IwaOi fantasy AU for _ages_. Feedback is always appreciated!


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